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The big question looming over Star Wars: The Clone Wars may finally be answered in this week’s season-five finale. Since The Clone Wars movie premiered in 2008, fans have wondered why Anakin Skywalker’s padawan, Ahsoka Tano, does not appear in any of the films. Unlike other characters in the series, such as Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the fate of Ahsoka is completely unknown.

With the conclusion of a dark four-episode arc focusing on the young Jedi airing Saturday, we may soon learn more about what happens to her. The finale arc and all of season five have revolved around the idea of facing the consequences of actions, explained supervising director Dave Filoni, and Ahsoka is quickly discovering this for herself.

“We were challenged to do something creative and dramatic this season with the Darth Maul and Ahsoka arcs. Characters are dying off, real things are going down, and [you can see] connections to the Star Wars films,” said Filoni. “I’ve always said this is a race to the finish.”

Framed for multiple murders, Ahsoka has been on the run and hunted by her own Master over the last three weeks. She was finally captured by the Jedi at the end of last week’s episode. With little evidence to support her innocence, the future looks bleak for Ahsoka.

Filoni, who personally directed the finale, admitted this upcoming episode is one of his favorites of the whole arc because of “how it comes together and seeing Ahsoka make a strong choice for herself and why she makes it.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing fan reaction to the finale, since it’s so different from what’s been done before,” Filoni said.

Episodes are created without an order in mind for the series, but when Filoni finally got all the stories together, he said it “seemed so obvious” that this Ahsoka arc should end season five. He compared it to the moment when he realized Darth Maul’s arc should be saved for the end of season four and Chewbacca should appear at the end of season three. Filoni said he tries to “pave a season with something dramatic [which goes] into something lighter and fun, ending with something very memorable.”

From Filoni’s comments, it sounds like the finale will definitely be memorable. So have we seen the end of Ahsoka? Speculation about what happens to Anakin’s padawan has ranged over the years from whether she will be killed off in the animated series, bringing Anakin closer to the dark side, or whether she just dies offscreen when Order 66 is enacted in Revenge of the Sith.

Filoni said what ultimately happens to Ahsoka at the end of the finale will be a “dramatic change” and “definitely poses interesting questions” about the future of these characters.

As for fans worried that no matter what happens in the finale this might in fact be the series’ end, Filoni could share little about the future of the show under Disney’s new leadership.

“All I can say is there are more stories to tell in the universe as we adjust to the new landscape. Star Wars is everywhere, on the big screen and in every format. This is an exciting time for fans,” Filoni said. “The fact that people are worried or whatever I appreciate, because it means they do care, so it’s a good thing, instead of seeing more of a ‘whatever’ attitude, which would be pretty disappointing.”

Filoni, who previously worked for Disney and has worked with the company while at Lucasfilm for Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World, believes they will do right by the franchise.

“It’s a natural fit. Fans just have to be patient. Disney fully understands the love that people have for the universe of Star Wars,” Filoni said. “You might see a company name on a person’s business card, but that doesn’t mean they’re not also passionate about stories and love Star Wars as much as you do. I have friends at Disney who are excited and proud about buying Star Wars. All of that makes me very confident.”

Watch an exclusive clip of the season-five finale “The Wrong Jedi” below. It airs on March 2 at 9:30 a.m. (Cartoon).